The Soldiers Mock and Scourge Jesus
Mark 15:16-20
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Mark.15.16 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- Οι: ART,nom,pl,m
- δε: CONJ
- στρατιωται: NOUN,nom,pl,m
- απηγαγον: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,pl
- αυτον: PRON,acc,sg,m
- εσω: ADV
- της: ART,gen,sg,f
- αυλης: NOUN,gen,sg,f
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- εστιν: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
- πραιτωριον: NOUN,nom,sg,n
- και: CONJ
- συγκαλουσιν: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,pl
- ολην: ADJ,acc,sg,f
- την: ART,acc,sg,f
- σπειραν: NOUN,acc,sg,f
Parallels
- Matthew 27:27-31 (verbal): Nearly identical narrative: soldiers take Jesus into the praetorium, assemble the whole cohort/band, mock him, clothe him in a robe and crown him—parallel wording and actions.
- John 19:2-3 (thematic): Roman soldiers mock Jesus by weaving a crown of thorns, putting on a purple robe and saluting him—the same soldierly mockery and humiliation enacted in the praetorium scene.
- Luke 23:36-37 (thematic): Soldiers mock and insult Jesus, offering him sour wine and deriding him—another Gospel’s account of the soldiers’ mockery surrounding the trial/crucifixion.
- Mark 15:17-20 (structural): Immediate literary continuation in Mark: details of how the soldiers clothed, mocked, and then led Jesus out to crucify him; same episode expanded in the next verses.
Alternative generated candidates
- Then the soldiers led him into the praetorium and gathered the whole cohort round about him.
- And the soldiers led him away into the praetorium and gathered the whole cohort.
Mark.15.17 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- και: CONJ
- ενδιδυσκουσιν: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,pl
- αυτον: PRON,acc,sg,m
- πορφυραν: NOUN,acc,sg,f
- και: CONJ
- περιτιθεασιν: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,pl
- αυτω: PRON,dat,sg,m
- πλεξαντες: VERB,aor,act,ptc,nom,pl,m
- ακανθινον: ADJ,acc,sg,m
- στεφανον·: NOUN,acc,sg,m
Parallels
- Matthew 27:28-29 (verbal): Nearly identical account: soldiers put a purple robe on Jesus and wove a crown of thorns, mocking him as 'King of the Jews.'
- John 19:2-5 (verbal): John likewise describes the soldiers twisting a crown of thorns, placing it on Jesus' head, clothing him in a purple robe, and presenting him to the people.
- Luke 23:11 (structural): Herod and his soldiers mock Jesus and array him in a splendid robe before sending him back to Pilate—parallel mocking/dressing motif though Luke omits the thorn crown.
- Psalm 22:7-8 (thematic): Psalmist's depiction of scorn and mockery ('He trusts in the LORD; let him deliver him') is thematically echoed in the soldiers' mocking of Jesus at his humiliation.
Alternative generated candidates
- They clothed him in a purple cloak, and braiding a crown of thorns they put it on his head.
- They clothed him with purple, and braided a crown of thorns which they set on his head.
Mark.15.18 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- και: CONJ
- ηρξαντο: VERB,aor,mid,ind,3,pl
- ασπαζεσθαι: VERB,pres,mid/pass,inf
- αυτον·Χαιρε: PRON,acc,sg,m
- βασιλευ: NOUN,voc,sg,m
- των: ART,gen,pl,m
- Ιουδαιων·: NOUN,gen,pl,m
Parallels
- Matthew 27:29 (quotation): Soldiers place a crown of thorns on Jesus and mockingly cry, 'Hail, King of the Jews!'—a direct parallel to Mark's account of the same taunt.
- John 19:3 (quotation): The Roman soldiers mock Jesus, placing a crown and robe on him and saying, 'Hail, King of the Jews!'—another direct verbal parallel to Mark 15:18.
- Luke 23:36 (thematic): Soldiers mock Jesus with a variant taunt ('If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself'), thematically parallel in intent and tone to the salute in Mark.
- Matthew 2:2 (allusion): At Jesus' birth the Magi ask for 'the one born King of the Jews'—the same royal title used earlier in a positive sense, creating an ironic contrast with the mocking use at his passion.
- Psalm 22:7-8 (verbal): The psalm describes onlookers mocking and deriding the sufferer ('He trusted in the LORD; let him deliver him'), echoing the taunting language applied to Jesus in the passion narratives.
Alternative generated candidates
- And they began to salute him, "Hail, King of the Jews!"
- And they began to salute him, 'Hail, King of the Jews!'
Mark.15.19 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- και: CONJ
- ετυπτον: VERB,impf,act,ind,3,pl
- αυτου: PRON,gen,sg,m
- την: ART,acc,sg,f
- κεφαλην: NOUN,acc,sg,f
- καλαμω: NOUN,dat,sg,m
- και: CONJ
- ενεπτυον: VERB,impf,act,ind,3,pl
- αυτω: PRON,dat,sg,m
- και: CONJ
- τιθεντες: VERB,aor,act,part,nom,pl,m
- τα: ART,acc,pl,n
- γονατα: NOUN,acc,pl,n
- προσεκυνουν: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,pl
- αυτω: PRON,dat,sg,m
Parallels
- Matthew 27:30 (verbal): Matthew records essentially the same actions—they put a reed in his hand, spat on him, and struck his head—closely paralleling Mark's wording and sequence.
- John 19:3 (verbal): John likewise describes the soldiers striking Jesus with a reed and spitting on him, a near-verbatim parallel in detail of the abuse.
- Isaiah 50:6 (allusion): The servant-song's mention of yielding face to 'shame and spitting' echoes the humiliation Jesus endures, often read as a prophetic background to the Passion's mistreatment.
- Psalm 22:7-8 (thematic): Psalm 22 depicts taunting and derision—'All who see me mock me... they wag their heads'—providing a thematic foreshadowing of the mockery and spitting Jesus experiences.
Alternative generated candidates
- They struck his head with a reed, spat upon him, and, kneeling, paid him mock homage.
- They struck his head with a reed, spat upon him, and knelt and paid homage to him.
Mark.15.20 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- και: CONJ
- οτε: CONJ
- ενεπαιξαν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,pl
- αυτω: PRON,dat,sg,m
- εξεδυσαν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,pl
- αυτον: PRON,acc,sg,m
- την: ART,acc,sg,f
- πορφυραν: NOUN,acc,sg,f
- και: CONJ
- ενεδυσαν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,pl
- αυτον: PRON,acc,sg,m
- τα: ART,acc,pl,n
- ιματια: NOUN,nom,pl,n
- τα: ART,acc,pl,n
- ιδια: ADJ,acc,pl,n
- και: CONJ
- εξαγουσιν: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,pl
- αυτον: PRON,acc,sg,m
- ινα: CONJ
- σταυρωσωσιν: VERB,aor,act,sub,3,pl
- αυτον: PRON,acc,sg,m
Parallels
- Matthew 27:31 (verbal): Almost identical description: the soldiers mock Jesus, strip off the robe (or take off the robe), put his own clothes on him, and lead him away to be crucified—close verbal and narrative parallel to Mark's wording.
- John 19:2-5 (verbal): Soldiers place a purple robe (and crown of thorns) on Jesus and mock him as 'King of the Jews'; parallels the mocking/robe motif in Mark and highlights the same humiliation by the soldiers.
- John 19:16 (verbal): Pilate delivers Jesus to be crucified ('handed him over to them to be crucified'), paralleling Mark's statement that they led him out to crucify him—same legal/physical transfer to execution.
- Luke 23:11 (structural): Herod and his soldiers mock Jesus and array him in a robe before sending him back to Pilate; a related episode that echoes the motif of mockery and ceremonial clothing within the Passion narrative.
- Psalm 22:18 (22:17 LXX) (allusion): 'They divide my garments among them; for my clothing they cast lots'—a prophetic passage alluded to by the Gospel accounts' removal/division of Jesus' clothes and the casting of lots, connecting the mockery and stripping to Scripture.
Alternative generated candidates
- When they had mocked him, they stripped off the purple, put his own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him.
- When they had mocked him, they stripped off the purple, put his own clothes back on him, and led him out to crucify him.
And the soldiers led him away into the praetorium and summoned the whole cohort.
They clothed him in a purple robe, wove a crown of thorns, and placed it on him. And they began to salute him, "Hail, King of the Jews!"
They struck his head with a reed, spat upon him, and, kneeling, mocked him.
When they had finished mocking him, they stripped off the purple robe, put his own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him.